"Led by Sir Charles Dunstone, the team of Investors and Board Members is formidable. They include Sir Keith Mills, Lord Michael Grade and Lord Irvine Laidlaw. They've set a budget of £80 million, 'give or take' as Sir Keith put it."

...once the actual BS stops and the sailing starts, what we need is a Danish/French/Johny-foreigner fella to wind the big lad up (failing that a badly helmed press boat will do) and probably some kind of improbable "he can't possibly win it from there" type of scenario, throw in some GBR olympians, possibly a horsey princess or two (but on boats, even if just for a mo), some confused looking royal correspondants, a few fawning breakest news girlies ("oh ben, I'm sure you will win" <bat eyelids, bat eyelids> and of course, some over-excited american commentator types (none of that under-stated Andy Green stuff or god-forbid-but-no-offence-meant Rob Walker) and what have you got....

.... the big fella, with the auld mug, stepping ashore at the Tower from his silver yacht to get a frickin big gong from the grateful nation (while prince Philip works out how to bolt the auld mug down to the RYS bar so the yanks can't have it back) and a fly over with some spitfires, or some'at similar

Tend to agree on the money front. £80 mill budget sounds tight this far out from the event and only 40% promised so far. I think the the talent on all fronts is there, but if they are scratching around for finance it'll kill it. Oracle just won't have that problem.

I think the word on the grape vine is that Dunstone and Mills will put the money if it doesn't turn up. Which is probably why they are on the board desperately trying to find it. I'm not sure whether they will 'top the pot up' if a sponsor hands out a £80mil cheque.

You are right though, 80 million doesn't seem enough. not for a long cycle and two boats, especially when you consider a crap F1 team is running on about $200 million a year. To put it into perspective though, Christian Ronaldo cost Real Madrid 80 million, Gareth Bale something similar. I can see where coutts is going trying to fit the whole event around the NFL season. Ainslie needs to drum up the interest in this country and get it broadcast on the BBC or SKY so that the television rights filter down through.

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